Homeless
by Thatguyacrossthestreet1
Summary: Ruby's tale of living on the streets and the struggles she faces. Inspired by a fic I cant remember from years ago :D feel free to suggest a new title I cant think of a better one.
1. introduction

So first shot at rwby FAIR WARNING I wrote this at 3 am so it's probably full of mistakes

This is a homeless rwby au because I read one years ago and cant remember waht it was called

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It had been years since Ruby had slept in a proper bed or ate a warm meal. Such things were luxuries she wasn't afforded, her food would be canned to last not the tastiest and definitely worse at room temperature. The "bed" she did have was what ever she could scrape together to keep her of the cold ground, usually newspapers or cardboard and a single thin blanket that she stole from a clothesline years ago. Stealing always sat wrong with her and as such she had tried to stick to legal means of obtaining what she needed, but as her current situation would show Ruby and luck didn't meet very often. With reluctance Ruby learnt how to steal and pickpocket one winter, when people had been less generous with beggars preferring to spend that spare cash on ways to get themselves though the winter.

Ruby had learnt to run incredibly fast as the older she got the less forgiving people became when she got caught in the act, as not even the best of thieves were successful one hundred percent of the time. What hurt rwby was the people she had to steal from were people not much better off than her as the rich and wealthy definitely didn't come to this part of town. No this area was populated by the poor minimum wage workers and the homeless, as the better parts of Vale had regular patrols moving beggars and the homeless away. Claiming this affected the town's image going as far as to put metal studs on the ground near important buildings and fencing of alleyways, in hope to deter people from sleeping where the public could see them

Which she supposed it was better being around people she could understand, she knew like her they were more concerned with food, water and a place to sleep than causing trouble. The only people she really needed to avoid was the street gangs getting involved with them only led to a worse life than being homeless already was. This wasn't easy though seeing they were really the only ones around with money, see even those lucky enough to have a roof weren't doing to well being swallowed by debt and with earning as little as they did they were not able to help out as much as the really did want to. This caused many to join up with gangs like the white fang just to get that next meal only to end up dead a few days later, Ruby truly felt sorry for those people as even she had thought about it when facing the harsh winter once. Before deciding breaking into abandoned buildings was a safer approach.

This life had stated at eleven for Ruby now she is fifteen having faced this for five yeas had toughened her up but that innocence still showed itself occasionally, like the childish excitement she had when she was able to save up enough food or money to last the day so she could go to the library. Learning was always a special thing for rwby as having no home or money meant school was an impossibility but the world always fascinated her making knowledge addicting to her. Ruby had tried for years to get a job doing anything really just to ease the burden and free her from having to commit daily thefts or 18 hour begging shift just to eat that night. Unfortunately the same problems showed themselves no address work history or education made a job impossible, unless it was really shady and Ruby wanted to avoid that kind of work. After all they wouldn't pay that much better than begging and what's the point of putting in that much work just to loose it when caught by some other group or god forbid the police. Being homeless sucked but it had to be better than prison right? Ruby decided she didn't want to find out. Instead studying thinking she tried hard enough maybe someone would notice that even without schooling she was smart and obviously hard working if she had decided to teach herself. So she dreamed of one day escaping this life.

The liabary was the logical choice to chase these dreams as it was. one free . and two open to everyone if you didn't cause trouble, weirdly even the white fang left it alone. Ruby was on her way to this place today after shoplifting a cans of soup putting her in somewhat of a bitter mood. She decided to go and read until it was time to return to her miserable reality.

You see even with all the time she spent studying even she had her guilty pleasures, escaping into a world of fantasy with knights and princesses, magic and adventure was probably her favourite thing to do, after all in the books someone like her would not have been in such a bad place for so long powerless to change her fate. No in the stories she read she would never give up always picking herself up and trying till she beat everything that faced her. Se meet someone amazing and fall in love secretly dating spending her young years in love until it was announced to the world and they would run away together. Another story would have her encounter some great treasure and all her problems would be fixed and she could live happily ever after.

Funnily enough her version of happily ever after was never as grand as the stories were, no her fairy tail wouldn't need some complicated plot of twists and turns no hers would end with just someone to talk to. Someone to share life with the good times as well as the bad no she didn't need money or some grand romance or even a bed to be happy no she needed a friend.

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so i didn't really edit this before posting i would also accept any offers to help edit as that's not my thing as I've said before grammar and spelling not my greatest i really only write cause it helps me think and i just thought why not see what people have to say so any criticism is welcomed review and tell me what you think should i continue? or just drop this…

side note those stud things exist i saw them outside of a hospital and just felt disgusted.

remember when I said I'd do weird things in my sleep deprived mind every single time i wrote ruby i wrote it as rwby and had to fix it EVERY TIME! now obviously this is just to set the scene from now on it will mostly be ruby's pov

random question time… you have ten seconds… best cookie. [there is no correct answer D:]


	2. close call

**So the next chapter of my sleep deprived creation is here yay not much to say here see you at the bottom.**

 **Sidenote thanks to new universe returns for reviewing and I like your idea but not to spoil but I'm not really going that direction. I'm not sure if I'm even going to include hunters and grimm. So fair warning to everyone at current stages beacon and being a huntress is not where ruby will end up I may rework beacon into the library which will be revisited or a school or something.**

 **if more people review this section could be more fun *wink wink***

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Being late winter the streets were covered with snow and ice, and going anywhere was a nightmare but it was also my favourite time of the year. The cold made most people hide in shelter and so the streets were quiet leaving me to just loose myself in my thoughts as the wind calmly blew past. Despite the calmness this brought I wasn't stupid enough to go running around when it could be avoided not owning any winter clothes and only having a thin cloak to defend against the biting cold made these walks to clear my head short and only when I had a clear need to go somewhere.

The library was where I was heading, you see this library was part of a community outreach program giving the poorer people free access to information. While technically government funded it was clear the building was last on the list of things to finance, the building wasn't as bad as the rest of places around here but it was rundown with paint peeling off the walls the furniture literally on it's last legs. All the books were donated from the nicer places around vale that was just going to be disposed of, with very little funding the place couldn't afford to order brand new books in bulk. researching anything here was a task and with only two computers not many people bother to come in here. I don't really mind though preferring books to conflicting articles on the internet, however it seems this place was doomed to fail from the start.

The better libraries however required lots of fees and a membership which I couldn't pay or apply for so this little building has to do for so many people like me who really want to do better with themselves. approaching the building I say hello to the desk staff and move into the halls of books trying to decide how to spend my evening. Earlier today I had to steal just to eat so I suppose it'd be better to just escape for a little while, moving onto the fantasy section browsing through the books to find something interesting. Picking up a book I go and sit at a desk to read.

Hours had past and now the sun is setting I'll have to leave soon sighing I pick the book up and return it to its rightful place. moving to the exit I thank the staff and put my red cloak back on and move out to the streets. Having to rush if I want to beat the night chills I weave my way down the snow covered paths until I find myself in front of an abandoned brick factory. I have been living here for two weeks after the last place I crashed in got tore down, annoying but you get used to it staying in one place isn't safe anyway. Not that I'm expecting trouble most people are nice enough or just to busy to bother anyone however it never hurts to plan ahead and not being able to be found is useful if you manage to anger local thugs or the police. After all its not like they'll bother to actually search the town for a pickpocket of shoplifter, sure they would stop you in the act but they got better things to do than investigate these crimes.

crashing down onto my luxurious bed that cost an amazing couple of newspapers and a cardboard box yeah sarcasm hasn't made it any softer but a girl can dream cant she? the factory was quit nice having minimal holes it offered great protection against the winter the was also a lot of space for all those possessions I don't have okay so maybe I do have a problem. remembering how unpleasant it is to sleep in the cold hungry I fetch my bag that I got a couple years ago fishing one of the cans of soup out. Reaching back into the bag to grab the switch blade I got to open cans because an eleven year old didn't know what a can opener was and after i learned well i already had the knife and it worked pretty good. stabbing into the can and prying the lid of with a little bit of effort, practice makes perfect right? Dinner was finally served it was a delectable five star can of cold soup that was a chore to keep down.

after finishing that I lay my head down to sleep hoping tomorrow would have something to make this better, i used to keep a diary but realised I only used it to be more depressing than I already I decided to toss it after all it's not like I need help with that. Sighing i close my eyes and let sleep take me.

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When i woke up it was raining and rain in winter seems to only exist to annoy me you see no one walks the streets while its raining so begging wont get anything and shops don't let you in soaking wet dipping water all over the place so shoplifting is damn near impossible because even if you find a shop that doesn't care your eyes are drawn to the soaking wet little girl shivering through the aisles so stealing something will definitely mean getting caught.

Luckily I prepared for such an occasion by grabbing three cans of soup meaning i can have breakfast and dinner without having to leave. A depressingly bland breakfast and dinner but hey what position am I in to complain some people out there are in the rain and have no food. On that sobering thought I begin to prepare my breakfast by prepare I mean stab a lid of and scoop soup with my hands but hey not an abundance of spoons in a factory and who would steal a spoon that's just crazy.

Eating my meal I decide to open up a newspaper I'm not sleeping on from a couple days ago just to see what the normal people are running into. Not much a sex scandal here some athlete overdosing and another crooked politician found to be wasting public funds, nice to see the world doesn't change. Interestingly there seems to be something called a vytal festival that says its free to the public, how do I not know about this if it's free. I'm usually there anything beats sitting in the dark thinking about doing things.

Other than that a lot of music concerts I'll never afford to go to a new club opening that even if I could afford I wouldn't go to, clubs are full of loud and annoying people only serving to get you drunk and rob of as much cash as it can before you realise your broke and sober up enough to stumble away regretting the night in other words doesn't sound as fun as people make it out to be.

Deciding the affairs of the world are boring now I finish eating while watching the rain wondering what the rest of today has left to offer. As it turns out the rain slowed down about midday so I decided id go grab some food. the supermarket was the best place to go as one they could afford to loose a few things and two the amount of people made catching someone harder.

garbing a couple of cans of soup, stew and the abomination people call canned fruit I decided to leave walking right out the front door and directly into an alley way on the way bac towards the abandoned industrial side vale before most the businesses moved out the area was actually well of but as always these big companies were really only concerned with the bottom line and moved to cheaper areas and using cheaper labour to make their product. It was a good move for them but for all the workers the let go well most of them ended up like me.

As I rounded a corner I felt someone pull me back by the bag. "you ever think about paying for those" a feminine voice said turning around I'm confronted by a raven haired girl with beautiful amber eyes. scared at getting caught and admittedly taken back by the beautiful stranger I found myself unable to respond. "Well" she said expecting an answer. Suddenly remember the situation I'm in I ram the bag into her chest the cans lodging themselves into her chest forcing her to let go. Spinning on my heel and sprinting down the alley and onto the street, over the road and into the alley on the other side. barley hearing the shout of "WAIT!" behind me ignoring it I weave my way through a few more alleys before I reach the industrial side of vale. Slowing down I catch my breath and star walking home deciding there's no way she could of caught up.

however the rest of the day I could not forget her face, hair hell even her voice was amazing. I found myself wondering who she was and how she caught me I thought I was pretty stealthy no one else seemed to realise what I had done. Against my better judgement I even found myself imagining running into her again before I dismissed these ideas remembering that a) I'm homeless and b) she caught me stealing and most people don't like thieves.

I guess we will just see what tomorrow brings but for now I'm going to eat something that claims it is fruit and waste the day away here I can't risk getting caught again this was to close.

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 **still looking for beta pm if interested.**

 **still cant write ruby unless I write rwby who knows I might of missed one and you'll see how annoying I am to myself**

 **this time your job is to give me music to write to cause I god damn broke Spotify with replaying the same stuff over and over**


	3. history lesson

**So the next chapter of my sleep deprived creation is here yay not much to say here see you at the bottom. someone told me I need to tell you I don't own rwby thought that'd be pretty obvious but hey I guess not... just to be clear I don't... I don't own rwby... wish I did**

 **reviews** \- **timrocks99 yes that was blake but atm she is just the friend interest I'm not sure if it'll go further than that. Weiss and yang will make an appearance as well as for the others (jnpr etc.) I haven't decided yet. if I do a pairing it'll be a toss up between blake and Weiss. Yang has zero chance here sorry to any that annoys but I just don't like it**

\- **sakuralovelight I am not familiar with this Anastasia and my research known as google only got me a dating website so you'll need to elaborate but it does sound interesting.**

 **if more people review this section could be more fun *wink wink***

 **oh this is the history chapter I got three I repeat three pms about**

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five years ago a small child not even in her teens was wondering the streets lost and confused, yet not calling for a mother or father no she was searching for a place to sleep or some food to eat already pushing any thoughts of family and a home away. This little girl had been wondering for hours with just thin pyjamas to protect against the cold. Shivering and looking for a place to rest the last few hours of walking through Vale with no shoes had left her feet bruised and blistered, even a few cuts along the soles of her feet. Stumbling her way past late night diners and fast food chains had left her starving and miserable forced to endure the delicious scents floating through the night's winds.

Unable to obtain any food even going as far to look in bins to find scraps, no matter how hard she looked it seemed she wouldn't eat tonight. with tears in her eyes she sat down behind some restaurant next to a dumpster to try and get some rest. Unfortunately just as she closed her eyes she was woken by some strange old man. Immediately every piece of advise anyone ever gave came rushing back to her all at once. Terrified she let out a scream and tried to jump to her feet only succeeding in falling over. With that not working she tried to scramble backwards till her back hit the wall, looking up terrified she prepared for the worst. "Relax I'm not here to hurt you" the old man said "you're new to this living on the streets thing aren't you" he continued.

Still to scared she just watched him carefully. The old man sighed "are you hungry?" he asked in a calm yet direct tone, the young girl just nodded her head still to scared and sad to form any words. "Here" he said handing her a bag "it's not much but begging isn't the best paying job but at least it's food" he continued encouraging her to eat. Inside was half a sandwich and an apple. Even though she was hungry she forced herself to give the bag back. "What about you" the little girl asked with a trembling voice.

The old man just laughed "I already ate some of it and id rather starve than see a little girl like you go hungry" he said seeming genuine. "thank you mister" the young girl said before digging into the sandwich so fast she didn't even taste it just trying to sate that hole in her stomach that had festered for hours as she had not eaten all day. the old man was amused at her actions but reached out to stop her "slowly you will just end up sick scarfing it down like that" he said cautiously. slowing down she finished the sandwich and started nibbling on the apple "how long have you been homeless" the old man asked. "Today what about you" she replied in a timid voice.

"jeez how long has it been gotta be close to fifteen years now" he replied in an uncertain tone. the small girl looked at him in shock and slight awe he survived so long like this "how did you do it" she asked with curiosity in her voice. "The first few years were hard but I was young and fit, I had been working in one of the factories before they shut down not being qualified for other work left me in a load of debt till I lost my house I had to resort to stealing when I couldn't earn enough but year after year you get better at it till its just second nature" he explained.

"So no one ever fixes their lives they just stay homeless" the little girl asked in a mixture of fear and sadness. "Well no not necessarily some get lucky it's just harder to do anything when you have no phone or address for job interviews" he said carefully trying not to crush this little girl. "So why are you out here anyway" he asked the young girl. "seemed better than where I was" she replied in a small voice, understanding that she did not want to talk about it the man decided not to push the subject.

"why don't you rest up here you'll need some sleep for what's to come this life is not easy kid" he said. The young girl did as he asked ad tried to get a bit more comfortable, realising the impossibility of this she just slumped down and closed her eyes. The old man covered her with his thick coat to try and provide her some warmth all the while wondering what could push such an innocent soul to this.

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The morning was an unpleasant sight for both the man and child both remembering the night before, the man confused as to how to help such a young child while the girl just wanted to forget everything. First things first the girl will need proper clothes and shoes or she wont survive more than a couple more nights. While it wasn't winter yet it was still much to cold at night to be wearing what she was. They had both agreed to search the community centre to see if there was any donations roughly her size, well the man thought of this the girl just seemed to realise he probably knew what he was doing if his story was legitimate. Doubt in his story had formed almost immediately after he had told it but at the moment he was the only one willing to help.

The community centre was run by many different charities just trying to keep the doors open while not having the space to house people they did their best to source food and clothes to provide to the homeless free of charge. As they entered the building there was a large open space full of clothing racks with a desk on the side with cans of food stacked and someone watching over them to ensure no one person took too much as donations were rare only one can per person had been allowed.

Moving to the side of the building there was some racks dedicated to winter clothing. Now like food you could only take a singular outfit, the man decided it was best to git warm clothes as if it got too hot she could always take a jacket off and you never want to be cold with nothing left to put on. selecting a long sleeve shirt some long pants and a heavy winter coat. they moved on to shoes finding a pair was hard seeing with the clothes a bit too big was actually good however shoes tended to work less when they didn't fit. Finding a pair of boots only a size too big seemed to be as good as they would get. taking the clothes to the counter to pick up a can of food and check out. The lady on the desk did a very bad job of hiding her horror of a child living on the streets but handed them a bag with the clothes and food inside.

Not sticking around they moved on heading towards their little alleyway while the man was explaining to the girl if she was really going to do this what areas to avoid, the people known to harass or prey on homeless people and best spots to beg. he tried to tell her how to steal but she adamantly refused to listen stating she was homeless not a criminal. the man knew that while the innocence was admirable it wouldn't survive, or she wouldn't.

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Over the next few weeks the man watch over this child ensuring she was safe as she begged, sometimes for up to eighteen hours and most of the time never made enough to actually support herself. Starving hadn't hardened her though she still refused to steal rather being hungry than a bad person. Knowing the child wouldn't change her mind she was at that age where her beliefs wouldn't shift from pure stubbornness, she would see this through. So the man spent time shoplifting or in one case stealing a wallet out of a women's bag while she was on the phone, always telling the girl these things were from begging knowing she wouldn't accept stolen goods even if she hadn't done it herself.

even with this time spent together the girl spoke very rarely and never about her past things like home, family and even her name seemed only to depress or enrage the young girl. She was however extremely interested in listening to his tales about anything from his childhood or job to all the things he had seen on the streets, seeming like a sponge soaking these stories up. He tried his best to reaffirm the dangers of being homeless and the unlikelihood it'd change anytime soon. On some occasions begging this girl if she had a home she should return, this however only made the young girl furious. Ironically the most she ever said to him was screaming she would never speak to him again before crying and asking not to talk about it he relented for now.

The weeks turned to months and finally the most deadly time for the homeless showed up. Winter killed possibly hundreds every year the nights were colder and even the days were hazardous just made living outside close to impossible and the crowded nature of the slums most homeless lived in mad the spread of illnesses unstoppable, if one person got something it wasn't long till that entire block had it.

the man had suffered through many of these getting by with some skill and a lot of dumb luck however with this small child he didn't want to rely on luck. Even though they hadn't exchanged names normally just saying "hey" to get each others attention or the nickname "red" that she seemed to be okay with. He had grown fond of the company she provided. These streets were so full yet so lonely that if the winter wasn't the biggest killer depression would be. Suicide ran rampant and unchecked with no one willing or those who wanted to being unable to help it didn't look like it would decline anytime soon. With the rest of Vale preferring to pretend the slums didn't exist the homeless living there only had each other to help, but most were to busy trying to keep themselves breathing to spend time talking someone else down from that fatal decision.

The man knew that innocent soul would make it through the winter no matter what he had to do, who he had to hurt even if it killed him.

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 **still looking for beta pm if interested.**

 **tbh I tried to wait until tomorrow I really did but I am not known for my willpower**


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